Protest will be crushed, Mugabe's army pledges

By Peta Thornycroft in Harare

Zimbabwe's security forces vowed yesterday to crush anti-government rallies planned for next week after the opposition Movement for Democratic Change called on the people to "rise up in your millions" in peaceful protest against President Robert Mugabe.

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces, which include the army, air force and police, gave warning that the military "will not be an idle observer" during the planned mass action.

A statement issued through the government-controlled media said: "Instead it will bring to bear its full force upon those perpetrators of uncalled for violence."

By committing the army to the streets and threatening a showdown with opposition supporters, the ZDF statement raised the stakes a day after Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the MDC, called on Zimbabweans to "rise up in your millions and take part in nationwide peaceful protest marches for democracy and good governance".

In a statement distributed on Wednesday on the streets of Harare and headed "Action for National Survival", Mr Tsvangirai warned his supporters of the threat posed by thugs loyal to the Zanu-PF government who would be trying to start trouble, giving the security forces an excuse to round up demonstrators.

"Zanu-PF, the so-called war veterans and the Green Bombers [ruling party militiamen] are actively planning to start violence," Mr Tsvangirai said.

"Stand up and be counted. Demonstrate your anger. Action must take place everywhere in Zimbabwe. Be peaceful. Be disciplined. Be vigilant. Be courageous. Do not be provoked. Exercise maximum restraint. Beware of the Zanu-PF merchants of violence."

Diplomats have indicated that they are anxious about the protests. America called yesterday for restraint from the government, asking it "to respect the right of the citizenry to protest peacefully and not to follow through on threats to suppress the protests".

Mr Mugabe, who was in Nigeria yesterday for the inauguration ceremony for President Olusegun Obasanjo's second term, has vowed that the opposition would come to power only "over our dead bodies".

There are no estimates yet of how many demonstrators are expected to take to the streets next week.

Police on Wednesday broke up an opposition-led prayer meeting in a shopping centre in Harare, one of the daily street services called ahead of the demonstrations. Police insisted that the meetings were politically motivated and illegal.

Opposition fliers distributed before the prayer meetings said Mr Mugabe's repressive government "has lost all love and fear of God" and likened Zimbabweans living in misery to the biblical Israelites in Egypt who sought spiritual inner strength to confront the forces of evil.

"The Movement for Democratic Change calls upon Zimbabweans to dedicate this final phase of our non-violent struggle to participate in daily prayer meetings and share in this demonstration of faith and action," the fliers said.

The call for mass action comes amid rising political tension and as hardships deepen across the country.

Zimbabwe's economic meltdown is gathering pace and yesterday there were almost no banknotes in circulation.

Major employers, including government institutions, were buying cash on the black market to pay employees.

Fuel was unavailable at garages around the capital and only small amounts were selling on the black market.